Review on the Carbapenem Resistance Mechanisms of Klebsiella pneumoniae
Wafaa Ahmed Alhazmi *
Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
During the past years, the emergence of multi-drug resistance Gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB), including the carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has increased leading to a significant threat to public health care. Recent advanced molecular methods have improved our knowledge on how antimicrobial resistance mechanisms develop and transferred among bacterial strains. The MDR pathogens, particularly CRKP, utilize various mechanisms of resistance such as antimicrobial agent degradation, modification of antimicrobial target and alteration of cell membrane permeability. Here, the emergence of CRKP and the major antibiotic resistance mechanisms employed by CRKP will be reviewed and described. Understanding such mechanisms can be essential to develop new antimicrobial drug and help with individual treatment decisions to use alternative options to carbapenem and β-lactam antibiotics.
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, gram-negative, carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae